The present disclosure relates generally to an aquarium and, more particularly, to a system and method for removing and/or replacing some or all of the water within the aquarium.
Aquariums, or fish tanks, are commonly found in household and business settings, in an array of sizes and configurations. An aquarium generally includes a water-tight vessel having at least one transparent sidewall for viewing, with the vessel being at least partially filled with fresh or saltwater in order to provide a living environment for fish and/or other aquatic species. In some configurations, aquariums are temperature-controlled and/or equipped with air pumps so as to maintain appropriate oxygen levels in the water. Additionally, some aquariums are equipped with one or more water pumps and filters, which act to remove undesirable debris from the water within the aquarium.
In order for the artificial ecosystem formed within an aquarium to remain stable and capable of supporting marine life, debris and waste must be periodically removed from the aquarium, with clean water being added periodically, as well. In many instances, the entire volume of water within the aquarium does not need to be replaced, as replacing only a portion of the water suffices to maintain the cleanliness and stability of the aquatic environment. For example, many manufacturers recommend that at least 25% of the water within the aquarium be changed on a weekly basis in order to maintain a suitable environment for the fish or other species.
To change at least a portion of the water within the aquarium, owners have generally had to rely on either manual methods of removal (e.g., the use of containers and/or hand pumps), or utilize specialized electric pumps configured to remove some or all of the water. While the manual methods are workable, they can be time-consuming and untidy. The use of specialized pumps, on the other hand, adds complication and expense to aquarium ownership. Additionally, in either method, the fish or other species may need to be removed from the aquarium during water change-over, which not only adds complication to the process, but also may stress or injure the fish or other species.
Accordingly, this patent document described devices that are intended to address the issues discussed above and/or other issues.